Matthew 5:29 kjv
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:29 nkjv
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:29 niv
If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5:29 esv
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5:29 nlt
So if your eye ? even your good eye ? causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Matthew 5 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 5:30 | "And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away...thrown into hell." | Parallel hyperbole, reinforcing radical action against sin. |
| Matt 18:8-9 | "If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away...into eternal fire." | Repeats the teaching, highlighting the seriousness of stumbling. |
| Mark 9:43-47 | "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off...it is better for you to enter life crippled..." | Parallel account, reinforcing the necessity of avoiding temptation for eternal life. |
| Prov 4:23 | "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." | Guarding the source of sin (the heart/inner being) is paramount. |
| Rom 8:13 | "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." | Actively mortifying sin for spiritual life. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust..." | A direct call to eliminate sinful desires and practices. |
| Heb 12:1-2 | "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us..." | Removing obstacles and entangling sin for spiritual progress. |
| 1 Pet 4:1-2 | "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude...cease from sin..." | Readiness to suffer to cease from sin. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ...I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." | Radical valuation, abandoning worldly gain for Christ. |
| Gal 5:24 | "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." | Radical self-denial and putting to death sinful nature. |
| Titus 2:11-12 | "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions..." | Grace empowers rejection of sin. |
| James 1:14-15 | "But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." | Explains the progression from desire to sin and death. |
| Psa 119:37 | "Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." | A prayer for the protection of one's gaze from sin. |
| Psa 101:3 | "I will not set before my eyes anything that is wicked." | Commitment to avoid visual temptations. |
| Gen 3:6 | "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." | Eyes (seeing) as a first step towards sin (lust of the eyes). |
| Job 31:1 | "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman." | Conscious decision to control the gaze. |
| Prov 23:31-33 | "Do not gaze at wine when it is red...it bites like a snake...Your eyes will see strange sights..." | Warning against gazing at temptation. |
| Jer 32:35 | "...caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire to Molek—something I did not command them..." | Refers to the valley of Gehenna (Molech worship) as a place of judgment. |
| 2 Tim 2:22 | "Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace..." | Actively turning away from sinful desires. |
| Rom 6:12-13 | "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness..." | Do not yield body parts as instruments of sin. |
| 1 John 2:16 | "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world." | Categorizes sources of temptation, highlighting the 'lust of the eyes.' |
| Psa 19:13 | "Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." | Desire for freedom from dominating sin. |
Matthew 5 verses
Matthew 5 29 Meaning
Matthew 5:29 presents Jesus' teaching on the radical detachment required to overcome sin. Using hyperbole, He conveys that it is better to eliminate the very source or instrument of temptation, even if it feels as drastic as self-mutilation, rather than to allow that sin to lead one to eternal judgment. The emphasis is on the internal battle against sin and the extreme priority given to one's spiritual well-being over physical comfort or desire.
Matthew 5 29 Context
Matthew 5:29 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, particularly His teaching on righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (Mt 5:20). He moves beyond mere external observance of the Mosaic Law to the internal disposition of the heart. Specifically, this verse, along with the parallel in Matthew 5:30, immediately follows Jesus' interpretation of the seventh commandment against adultery. While the Mosaic Law condemned the act of adultery, Jesus declared that looking at a woman with lustful intent (Mt 5:28) is already adultery in the heart. Therefore, Mt 5:29 serves as a radical instruction on how to prevent this internal sin from taking root and leading to destruction. It addresses the internal source of sin (the eye, symbolizing the gateway to desire) and advocates for extreme measures to prevent spiritual ruin, using hyperbole that would have shocked His listeners but powerfully conveyed the gravity of His teaching on internal purity. This polemic directly challenges the prevalent legalistic righteousness that prioritized external conformity over inward transformation.
Matthew 5 29 Word analysis
- And if your right eye: The phrase "right eye" (Greek: ophthalmos ho dexios) is significant. The "right" side was often associated with superiority, strength, and primary importance in ancient Jewish culture. Therefore, it implies even that which is most valuable or precious to you, even if it feels indispensable. The "eye" represents the primary sense through which lust and covetousness often begin, acting as a gateway for sinful desire. It speaks to perception and choice.
- causes you to stumble: (Greek: skandalizō). This verb literally means "to put a stumbling block in the way," "to cause to trip or fall." In a moral or spiritual sense, it means "to cause to sin," "to lead astray," or "to betray into sin." It refers to something that leads one into grave offense against God, resulting in spiritual ruin or moral failure.
- gouge it out: (Greek: exorussō). This is a violent, decisive verb meaning "to dig out," "to pull out," or "to gouge out." It conveys a brutal, immediate, and complete severance. This vivid imagery is clearly hyperbolic, meaning Jesus is not literally advocating self-mutilation but rather a radical, decisive action against sin.
- and throw it away: This phrase emphasizes permanent disposal and complete separation. There is no reconsideration; once identified as a source of sin, it must be removed entirely and decisively, not just put aside temporarily.
- It is better for you to lose one part of your body: This contrasts two outcomes. "Lose one part" is the metaphorical cost of this radical action, implying a sacrifice or deprivation, which is minor compared to the alternative.
- than for your whole body: Refers to the entire person, the complete being, body and soul.
- to be thrown into hell: (Greek: geennan from Gehenna). Gehenna was the valley of Hinnom, a ravine south of Jerusalem where refuse was burned, and where, historically, child sacrifices to Molek had occurred. It became a symbolic representation of a place of perpetual fiery judgment and destruction. It refers to eternal punishment or separation from God, emphasizing the eternal and grave consequences of unrepentant sin.
- words-group by words-group analysis:
- "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away": This powerful command uses hyperbolic language to emphasize the severity of taking drastic action against sin. It underscores the internal battle against temptation. It is not about the physical eye, but the spiritual will that permits the eye (or any other faculty) to lead one into sin. The imperative is for immediate, ruthless spiritual self-discipline.
- "It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell": This comparison highlights the absolute priority of eternal salvation over any temporary physical or emotional gratification. The spiritual stakes are immeasurable, dwarfing any perceived sacrifice in this life. It defines "better" not by immediate comfort, but by eternal consequence.
Matthew 5 29 Bonus section
This passage is part of Jesus' call for "higher righteousness" for those in the Kingdom of Heaven. It's a challenging, confrontational teaching designed to shock His listeners into understanding the seriousness of sin originating from the heart. It directly contrasts with the legalistic approaches of some religious leaders of the time who focused on outward appearance rather than inward purity. The phrase "better for you" presents a stark, ultimate cost-benefit analysis where spiritual, eternal gain far outweighs any earthly sacrifice. It ties directly into the concept of daily carrying one's cross and crucifying the flesh, a recurring theme in the New Testament that signifies surrendering one's will and sinful desires to Christ's authority for the sake of salvation and holiness. The principle is that spiritual purity is worth any and every temporal sacrifice.
Matthew 5 29 Commentary
Matthew 5:29 is not a literal command for physical mutilation but a profound spiritual principle delivered through powerful hyperbole. Jesus here intensifies the understanding of righteousness beyond mere external acts to the purity of the heart. The eye, a common source of temptation (e.g., lust of the eyes, covetousness), symbolizes any channel or instrument through which sin gains entry or takes hold. The command to "gouge it out and throw it away" underscores the necessity of radical self-denial and immediate, decisive action against the root cause of sin in one's life. It calls for ruthlessness towards sin, not towards oneself. This means cutting off any influence, habit, relationship, or personal inclination, no matter how cherished or seemingly indispensable, if it actively leads one into sin. The driving motivation for such radical commitment is the dire consequence: "thrown into hell" (Gehenna), signifying eternal judgment and separation from God. Therefore, the verse compels believers to make an unwavering choice: eliminate sin's dominion now, even at great personal cost, to secure eternal life. This applies to modern contexts like self-regulation of digital content consumption, media influences, or unhealthy attachments that constantly lead to spiritual stumbling.